A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s ability to use a sweeping wartime authority to quickly deport some migrants whom the US has accused of being affiliated with the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
The judge also ordered any planes in the air carrying some of those migrants to turn back to the US.
Earlier Saturday, the Trump administration invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which gives the president tremendous authority to target and remove undocumented immigrants, to speed up the deportations of migrants. The law is designed to be invoked if the US is at war with another country, or a foreign nation has invaded the US or threatened to do so.
US District Judge James Boasberg had blocked the administration from deporting five individuals who challenged President Donald Trump’s use of the act. Following a hastily scheduled hearing hours later, Boasberg broadened his temporary block on the administration, granting a request from the plaintiffs’ lawyers to certify a provisional class that covers all noncitizens in US custody who would be subject to Trump’s proclamation.
Boasberg, who serves as the chief judge of the federal trial-level court in Washington, DC, agreed that those individuals’ deportations should also be temporarily blocked while the legal challenge proceeds.
“Particularly given the plaintiffs’ information, unrebutted by the government, that flights are actively departing and planning to depart, I do not believe that I’m able to wait any longer,” Boasberg continued. “Any plane containing these folks that is going to take off or is in the air needs to be returned to the United States.”
What happens next: The judge said the temporary restraining order will remain in effect for 14 days “or until further order of the court.” He set another hearing in the case for later this month.
Read more about the ruling and its implications here.
